How Does YouTube Work?

YouTube is like television over the internet. Good Shepherd Parish has its own YouTube channel where we share videos that anyone can watch.

If people like our channel, and have a Google account (Gmail, G-Suite, Android phone), they can subscribe to our channel, just like you would with a cable or satellite TV provider, except that our channel is free. People who subscribe to our channel get notified when there’s a new video. We’d love for you to subscribe. Click on the picture below and it will take you to our channel.

Each video on our channel is like an episode of a TV program. If you like a particular video, you can like it and even share it with others. When watching a video you will probably see images underneath it like I’ve included below. Clicking the Thumbs Up means you like it. Clicking on SHARE will give you options to share the video with your friends and family.

Again, this only works if you have a Google account and are logged into it. Otherwise you’ll see a big  button at the top right of the page. The more likes and subscribers we have, the more people will see our videos. Also, if we get up to 100 subscribers, our channel name could go from this: UCt0Fs8iizdamEIxxzmL4BYg to something like IowaWCA to more closely match our website. Wouldn’t that be so much nicer for people?

So, we're asking you to do your part. If you have a Google account, or don’t mind getting one, subscribe to our channel, and when you see a video that you connect with, like it and share it with others.

Thanks!

At the End of Your Rope

"At the End of Your Rope"

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” Matthew 5:3 MSG 

I’m sure there have been times in your life when you feel that you are at the end of your rope; whether that’s in a job, a marriage, friendships, financially, in sickness, or even our spiritual life. Many of us feel as if we are hanging on by a thread and at any minute everything could unravel. In these moments, it seems silly to consider ourselves blessed. However, Jesus opens up the Sermon on the Mount telling those who feel at the end of their rope that they are blessed. 

Out of everything Jesus could have said to the thousands of people there, He decided to open up by exclaiming the blessed state of those who feel that they are barely hanging on, that life seems to be crumbling in on itself. How can this be so?

It can be quite difficult for us to recognize our need for God when not in need. Pride starts to creep in and we can easily forget how much we truly need God. In our moments of desperation, we typically react in two ways. We can both curse God and turn away or we can deepen our trust in God. Job could have easily cursed God after everything was taken from him. Joseph could have cursed God when he was sold into slavery by his brothers and spent years in prison. However, both men renewed their faith in God. 

Jesus tells us that when we are at the end of our rope that it is in those moments that we are blessed. Our pride is out the window and our humanity is fully realized. In those moments, we recognize our need for something bigger than ourselves. We are emptied of ourselves and with ourselves emptied, there is now room for God. 

If you feel that you are at the end of your rope, know that you are blessed! God is with you! Let this desperation lead us to fervent prayer and turning over everything to God to take. By emptying yourself, you allow more room for God! God moves when we are truly desperate for Him! 

Prayer: Father, we repent because we know we have not loved You with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have allowed our pride and self-sufficiency to become our god. Lord, forgive us. We are in desperate need of You! We are at the end of our ropes and know we need You in our lives more than anything else. God, we need You to move in our lives, the lives of my family, and in our community. God let us never forget our need of You in the bad times and in the good times. Amen. 

Pastor Mike Ellson, Center Point UMC

Progressive Christianity?

Brothers & Sisters in Christ - 

As of today, there are only 55 days remaining until the beginning of the 2020 UM General Conference in Minneapolis on May 5. We pray that you have found our new website useful for facilitating the discussion in your church, as well as for providing a basis for connecting and having discussions with those in other churches, as we all move towards the future together! 

We believe that having resources from all perspectives is most helpful to the conversation, so we wanted to feature a couple resources today. From the liberal point of view, Rev. Roger Wolsey, an ordained United Methodist pastor who directs the Wesley Foundation at the University of Colorado at Boulder, writes in his article “It’s Time for Progressive Christianity”:

“Friends, Jesus isn’t God. Jesus didn’t die for our sins. Jesus wasn’t killed instead of us. God isn’t wrathful or vindictive. There isn’t a hell (other than ones that we create here on this earth). Going to heaven after we die isn’t what the faith or salvation is about. God didn’t write the Bible...Jesus’ resurrection didn’t have to be understood as a physical one…”

Many progressive UM clergy, including some in Iowa, believe (and teach) the same as Rev. Wolsey does on these matters. In stark contrast, the Wesleyan Covenant Association stands with the teaching of the universal Church for all time, agreeing with the apostle Thomas (yes, even “Doubting Thomas”) in saying that Jesus is “my Lord and my God”. 

Unbiblical beliefs espoused by Rev. Wolsey and other progressive UM clergy, in Iowa and elsewhere, further confirm what we have been saying since the inception of the WCA - that the division in the United Methodist Church is NOT about sexuality issues. It is about much deeper differences - regarding the person of Jesus Christ, the authority and interpretation of Scripture, the nature of creation, sin, salvation, and reconciliation, and so on. Unbiblical teaching on sexuality practices are only “presenting” issues that flow from a worldview that celebrates the creation instead of the Creator, and where “salvation and deliverance” are brought by political action and social engineering, rather than by Divine grace and the Cross of Jesus Christ.  

The simple truth is that diametrically-opposed beliefs cannot co-exist with any integrity in a “united” church, and more than 40 years of conflict confirms this.

And so, we STRONGLY encourage you to utilize the resources available and engage in these very important discussions. More great resources will be added - and speaking of great resources, we invite you to check out THIS great testimony!

Go to www.iowawca.org to find out what ELSE is available!

In Christ’s love,

The Communications team of the Iowa WCA

Our Lenten Journey Together - "A Free Gift"

"A Free Gift"

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

A few years ago, I was heading to pick up my older sister from the airport. She was flying in from Florida. I was running early for once, so I decided to run through the nearest drive-through to grab a hot cocoa. Maybe that would help pass the time. As I pulled up to the pay window, I realized I didn’t have a dime on me. Nothing. Nada. “I’m so embarrassed, but I must have left my purse at home,” I told the lady at the window. Her blank stare turned into a big smile. She must have noticed my heart pounding out of my chest. “Don’t you worry about a thing. This one is on me!” She said with a slight wink. To be honest, I don’t remember much after that. I do remember how I cried the rest of the way to the airport thinking about what God has given us.  

The cocoa came at a price just like my personal salvation. In a world where strings are always attached, important details are written in fine print, and wages are measured to the penny - there isn’t much in life that’s truly free. You probably see where I’m going with this, but just in case… This is the gospel! Jesus freely gave His perfect, sinless, beautiful, and fruitful life for us. Our heart should pound when we think of our sinful, selfish tendencies, and our tears should flow when we think about the sacrificial love of Jesus that is so freely given for us. We deserve death because of our sin, but when we accept Jesus into our hearts, we receive eternal life. Can you think of a better gift? 

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the free gift of salvation through Jesus. Thank you that we don’t have to earn our way to eternity with you. Help us to live into that gift this season. Help us to shine your light and live into your peace in this crazy and costly world. Give us generous hearts that we might gain a godly perspective in our earthly circumstances. Thank you also for this church family. Grow our hearts, grow our effectiveness, grow our numbers if it be your will. For your kingdom. To you be all the glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Amy Happ, Center Point UMC Laity

Our Lenten Journey Together - "The Law"

“The Law”

Romans 7-8

Have you ever questioned your life? Like, seriously questioned why you do what you do and why you say what you say? I truly believe God brings about circumstances and situations to present each of us with the opportunity to ask these kinds of questions. It happened to me when I lost a close friend who was a pastor. I was questioning everything.

I remember the first Sunday I went to church seeking answers. The congregation was going through, “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. I picked up a copy and couldn’t put it down. This led me to Romans chapters 7-8. The Apostle Paul explains sin and who Jesus is and where we fit in the world God created. It was that moment God spoke through His Word and made my sin real.

God has a way of moving into our lives at the precise moment to help us change. That is what the season of Lent is all about. Jesus knew something big was about to happen and what God had planned to take the sins of the world away. Jesus didn’t fixate on the past or future alone, but He had the confidence of what God was doing in the moment.

We, too, can’t be fixated on our past experiences or current expectations in how God is going to work. God is always working newness and understanding into our lives. Our part is, “Do we believe it?” and if we do, “How are we going to live it?”

Don’t let this season of Lent just be a motion you go through. Be open to what God must show you about yourself and who He is. And lastly, if you trust God, be ready for what He will do in your life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this season of Lent. A time to reflect and a time to grow into the people you have made us to be. Give us a spirit of hospitality with eyes and ears for our neighbor who hasn’t met you yet. Thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for taking our place on the cross and giving us faith and eternal life. Amen.

Pastor Andrew Happ